Jo Nesbø


Jon "Jo" Nesbø is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date. He first came to prominence as the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of country-pop band Di Derre, when their second album became a big hit in Norway, almost selling enough to make double platinum. The album was initially titled Kvinner & Klær, but had to be renamed and re-released as Jenter & Sånt after the eponymous Norwegian women's fashion magazine filed a complaint.
His first novel, The Bat, was released in 1997, one year before Di Derre's fourth and final studio album. It was awarded the Riverton Prize for best Norwegian crime novel, and the Glass Key prize for best Nordic crime novel. After 1998 he concentrated on writing, continuing the internationally successful crime novel series about inspector Harry Hole, collecting several awards nationally and internationally. In 2007 he released his first children's book, Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder, which also was hugely successful.
Headhunters, the first film to be based on a Nesbø novel, was released in 2011. Since then several films and TV series have been based on his books, both the crime novels and the children's books, often with Nesbø himself as script writer.
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Early life

Jon Nesbø was born in Oslo on 29 March 1960 and grew up in Molde. His mother, Kirsten, was a librarian. His father, Per Nesbø, fought for Germany during World War II on the Eastern Front. Per spent three years in prison after the war for his participation, and he later worked several odd jobs, including selling kitchen appliances, but struggled financially.
Nesbø graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a degree in economics and business administration. He worked as a freelance journalist and stockbroker before he began his writing career.

Career

The Harry Hole series

The series follows Harry Hole, a tough detective working for Crime Squad and later with the National Criminal Investigation Service, whose investigations take him from Norway to numerous other countries. Hole takes on seemingly unconnected cases, sometimes found to involve serial killers, bank robbers, gangsters, or the establishment, but spends a significant amount of time battling alcoholism and his own personal demons.
The Harry Hole novels are multi-layered, violent, and often feature women in peril, as typified by The Snowman. On the return of Harry Hole in The Thirst, Nesbø said: "I was always coming back to Harry; he is my soul mate. But it is a dark soul, so it is – as always – both a thrill and a chilling, emotionally exhausting experience. But Harry and the story make it worth the sleepless nights."
A film adaptation of The Snowman, with Tomas Alfredson directing, and starring Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and Charlotte Gainsbourg, premiered in October 2017. A television adaptation Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole began filming in Oslo in 2024.

The Doctor Proctor series

Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder, originally published in 2007, was Nesbø's first children's book. They are illustrated by Mike Lowery. The series is set in Oslo and follows the story of Doctor Proctor, a crazy professor waiting for his big break, his next-door neighbour Lisa and her peculiar friend Nilly, a short redheaded boy. The ruthless twins Truls and Trym Thrane sometimes lurk in the background. Doctor Proctor's first major inventions are a powder that makes the user fart and the "Fartonaut Powder," which makes the user fart so powerfully that they blast into space. In book 2 he invents a bathtub that allows the user to travel through time. As of 2018, there are 5 books in the series.
In 2014, a live-action film adaptation of the first book was made, and is only available in Norwegian. A sequel, Doktor Proktors Tidsbadekar, was released in 2015 with German involvement. Both films received mixed reviews.

The Olav Johansen series

It was announced in October 2013 that, writing under the pen-name of Tom Johansen, Nesbø had written at least two novels provisionally entitled Blood on Snow and More Blood on the Water, scheduled to be published in autumn 2014 and spring 2015. The books Blood on Snow and its sequel Midnight Sun: Blood on Snow 2 were published in 2015, but under Jo Nesbø's name.
It was also announced in October 2013 that Warner Brothers had bought the rights to Blood on Snow and planned to make a screen adaptation, to be produced by and possibly starring Leonardo DiCaprio. However, on 4 April 2017, it was reported that the screen rights had been purchased by Tobey Maguire's Material Pictures and Lawrence Grey's Grey Matter Productions, and that Maguire would make his directorial debut on the projected film adaptation. Filming on Blood on Snow took place in Latvia in February 2025.
This series follows Olav Johansen, a fixer for Oslo crime boss Daniel Hoffman. In Blood on Snow, Olav has just found the woman of his dreams. The only problem is that she's his boss's wife and that his boss has hired him to kill her.
A film adaptation of Midnight Sun, titled The Hanging Sun, directed by Francesco Carrozzini and starring Alessandro Borghi, Jessica Brown Findlay, Sam Spruell, Peter Mullan and Charles Dance, premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September 2022.

Other projects

In 2011, the Nesbø story Twelve was adapted by Magnus Martens into the film Jackpot, a black comedy crime mystery film.
In 2014 it was announced that Nesbø would contribute a re-telling of the story of Macbeth as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project, described as a 'crime noir' version of the tragedy. His Macbeth is set in 1970 in an unspecified location that combines aspects of Scandinavia and Scotland, and involves an Inspector Macbeth of a paramilitary SWAT team targeting bikers, drug dealers, and his police colleagues. It was published in April 2018.
In 2016, it was announced that there are also plans to adapt his stand-alone novel, [The Son (Nesbø novel)|Sønnen (The Son)], as a film, to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Jake Gyllenhaal as producer and Channing Tatum in the lead role.
On 5 April 2017, it was announced that Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur was working on a new adaptation of I Am Victor, a short story by Nesbø previously planned as an NBC television series but not completed.

Other work

Nesbø played as a striker for the football team Molde FK until he was forced to give up his football career upon tearing the cruciate ligaments in his knee.
Nesbø has been the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre since its formation in 1992.

Personal life

Nesbø lives close to his ex-wife and their daughter in Oslo. He is a dedicated rock climber, having begun climbing seriously at age 50. In 2023, he achieved a long-standing goal of climbing a French grade 8a sport route.

The Harry Hole novels

Flaggermusmannen Kakerlakkene Rødstrupe Sorgenfri Marekors Frelseren Snømannen – Adapted into the 2017 film of the same name.Panserhjerte Gjenferd Politi Tørst Kniv
  • ''Blodmåne''

The Doctor Proctor novels

Doktor Proktors Prompepulver Doktor Proktors Tidsbadekaret Doktor Proktor Og Verdens Undergang. Kanskje. Doktor Proktor Og Det Store Gullrøveriet
  • ''Kan Doktor Proktor Redde Jula?''

The Olav Johansen novels

Blod På Snø
  • ''Mere Blod''

The Kingdom novels

Kongeriket
  • ''Kongen av Os''

Stand-alone works

Karusellmusikk – Short storiesDet Hvite Hotellet Hodejegerne – Adapted into the 2011 film of the same name.Sønnen Macbeth Sjalusimannen Og Andre Fortellinger Rotteøya Og Andre Fortellinger Natthuset
  • ''Minnesota''

Non-fiction

TV series

Okkupert, based on a concept by Jo Nesbø, is a television series produced by TV 2 and Yellow Bird, the Swedish production house responsible for the Wallander TV series, and the films Headhunters and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The series is a political thriller which envisages what would happen if Norway were to be invaded by Russia to seize the nation's oil resources. The first season premiered in October 2015, the second in September 2017, and the third in January 2020.
A prequel television series based on Headhunters premiered in 2022, also produced by Yellow Bird.

Filmography

Adaptations

Headhunters Jackpot I Am Victor Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder Doctor Proctor: Bubble in the Bathtub The Snowman The Hanging Sun Headhunters Killer Heat Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole

Scripts and original plots by Nesbo

Deadline Torp Occupied

Awards and nominations